Journal Of Islamic Denominations

Journal Of Islamic Denominations

Al-Ghazālī’s Solutions to Avoid Excommunication in the Book Fayṣal al-Tafriqa bayn al-Islām wa-l-Zandaqa

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Seyyed Mohammad Mahdi Hosseinpur 1
mahdi masaeli 2
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Theological Schools, University of Religions and Denominations, Qom, Iran.
2 PhD student, Islamic Denominations (Proximity), University of Religions and Denominations, Qom, Iran
10.22034/jid.2024.434799.2470
Abstract
Excommunication of Muslims has been a significant religious and social issue within the Islamic community from the early Islamic period to the present, prompting numerous scholars to seek solutions. One such scholar, Muḥammad al-Ghazālī, addressed this problem in his fifth-century AH work, Fayṣal al-tafriqa bayn al-Islam wa-l-zandaqa (The Distinction Between Islam and Unbelief). This article aims to analyze and clarify various aspects of al-Ghazālī’s proposed solutions to the issue of excommunication. The primary focus is on al-Ghazālī’s solutions and their effectiveness. Utilizing the bibliographical method, this article describes and analyzes al-Ghazālī’s book, classifying and critiquing his ideas and their impact on preventing excommunication. The findings indicate that al-Ghazālī distinguishes between "disagreement within religion" and "disagreement with religion" through his explanation of the law of interpretation. He argues that speculative or inferential statements that do not contradict the Prophet’s teachings do not equate to unbelief (kufr) or warrant excommunication. While al-Ghazālī considers certain Islamic denominations to be erroneous or heretical, he maintains that they remain within the bounds of Islam and should not be excommunicated. However, al-Ghazālī does advocate for the excommunication of philosophers, arguing that their ideas contradict the Prophet’s teachings. He appears to prioritize reason over textual evidence to safeguard the status of reason. As an Ashʿarite theologian, he values transmitted evidence in demonstrative proofs and regards syllogisms lacking such content as non-demonstrative, which is a key factor in his decision to excommunicate philosophers.
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Keywords
excommunication (takfīr)
Muḥammad al-Ghazālī
Fayṣal al-tafriqa
unbelief
Islam
Subjects
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